


The Burden of Proof

by Kythe42



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 02:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4730162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kythe42/pseuds/Kythe42
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry sustains a minor injury when out in the field with Jo. Unfortunately, it becomes infected badly enough that Henry might be forced to tell James the truth about his immortality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Henry's wound gets infected, he and James argue over his reckless behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I’m merely borrowing them for my own amusement.
> 
> Warnings: Adult Themes, Slash, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Suicide
> 
> Spoilers: General spoilers for the whole of Season 1.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story exists in an alternate universe in which James Carter is alive in present day. Henry and James had been dating for awhile before Henry started working with Jo. I'm not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but it's probably before the events of episode 8. This story was written for the Big Reveal Ficathon event.

When James came home from his shift at the hospital, he stopped briefly in the shop to say hello to Abe, who informed him that Henry was upstairs resting. James smiled and nodded at Abe, then made his way upstairs to the apartment above the shop. He didn't see Henry in the living room at all, so he climbed another flight of stairs to check their bedroom. Sure enough, Henry was lying down in bed. He had the covers pulled up to his chest and there was an open book lying next to him. James wasn't sure why the lights were off, given the presence of the book, but he figured that either Abe must have turned off the lights after finding Henry asleep, or Henry had turned them off himself, but had been too tired to set the book aside.  
  
James approached the bed and picked up the book, placing a bookmark inside it before setting it down on the night stand. He took a moment to gaze at Henry's sleeping form and smiled as warm feelings of love and adoration filled him. James wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have a man like Henry in his life. He bent down and ran his fingers through Henry's hair as he kissed him on the forehead. He frowned and pulled away when he felt Henry's skin burning with fever.  
  
Henry woke when he felt the press of cool lips against his forehead. He struggled to open his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his vision. "James?" he murmured and managed to smile weakly.  
  
"Yes Henry, I'm here," James answered as he switched on the bedside lamp and sat down on the side of the bed. His frown deepened with concern when he saw that Henry's face quite flushed.  
  
"I'm glad you're here. I'm not feeling very well at the moment." As Henry became more alert, he let out a low groan realizing just how much pain he was in.  
  
"I can see that. You're definitely running a fever. How long have you been sick?" James asked gently.  
  
"I've been experiencing low levels of fatigue all day, but I wasn't actually feeling ill until I woke up just now," Henry explained.  
  
"What are your symptoms now?" James asked, switching gears from concerned lover to doctor.  
  
"Well my arm is throbbing, but I hurt all over, and I'm so tired," Henry answered and closed his eyes again.  
  
James frowned again and nodded. "I'm going to go get the thermometer so I can see just how high your fever is." James sighed as Henry made a soft whimpering sound. "I promise I'll be right back." He placed a soft kiss on Henry's cheek before getting up to retrieve the thermometer from the bathroom.  
  
Feeling very uncomfortable in his current position, Henry struggled to try to sit up in bed, but he was weak and tired, and that combined with his injured arm caused  him to collapse on the bed again. He kept trying to shift to different positions, but it seemed that he was in pain no matter how he lay on the bed.  
  
James returned from the bathroom with the thermometer, and he patted Henry gently on his good arm to let him know he was back. Henry opened his eyes, took the thermometer from him, and stuck it in his mouth. James climbed into bed next to Henry and stroked comforting circles on the palm of his hand as they waited for the thermometer. When it beeped, James took the thermometer from Henry's mouth. His mouth dropped open in dismay as he read the display. "This isn't good at all. You're at nearly 103 degrees."  
  
Henry grimaced. "Truth be told, with the way I'm feeling right now, I'm really not surprised."  
  
"We need to get your fever down. I'm going to get you some Tylenol," said James and got off of the bed.  
  
"No," Henry objected. "I'm in a lot of pain. Please bring me the Percocet. It has paracetamol in it, so it will help the fever as well as the pain."  
  
James blinked in surprise. Henry had been prescribed the Percocet for his injury, but up until now he had been too stubborn to use it. He must be in a lot of pain indeed if he was asking for it now. "Alright Henry. I'll bring you the Percocet, and then I'm going to have a look at your arm. I have a bad feeling that the wound got infected and that's what's causing your fever."  
  
Henry groaned miserably. "I'm afraid you may be right."  
  
James left and returned a few minutes later with the Percocet, a glass of water, and some medical supplies. He handed Henry the glass of water and the pill bottle. Henry retrieved two pills from the bottle and swallowed them with a long sip of water, before placing them both on the night stand. "Can you sit up for me Henry? It will be easier for me to look at your arm that way."  
  
Henry struggled to sit up, but he wasn't having any more luck than he did earlier. He shook his head at James."Help me up."   
  
James set the medical supplies down on the end of the bed, and after a couple of minutes, he managed to get Henry sitting up with the pillows propped up behind him. The wound was too high up on Henry's arm to be able to access it by rolling up his sleeve, so James unbuttoned Henry's pajama top and helped him get his left arm out of the sleeve. He frowned when he saw that the bandage had soaked through with blood that had since dried. "When was the last time you changed your bandage Henry?"  
  
Henry thought for a moment. "I believe it was before I went to work this morning."  
  
"You went to work?!" James all but shouted. "I thought we agreed that you were going to take a few days off to recover."  
  
"My injury really isn't that severe," Henry insisted. "The bullet only grazed my arm. It's no worse than a deep cut."  
  
James sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, and I'm not happy that you keep getting hurt. I really don't know what's gotten into you Henry, but ever since you started investigating cases with Jo, you've gotten a lot more reckless. I really wish you'd go back to just being an ME, but if you feel that this is what you need to do, then for god's sake please be more careful and let Jo protect you instead of the other way around."  
  
Henry let out a sigh of his own and found that he couldn't meet James's gaze. "I'm not sure that's something I can promise."  
  
"Why not?" James demanded. "Do you love her?"  
  
"Of course I do. Jo is a dear friend and I care very deeply for her, but I'm not in love with her. I just couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to her if I could have prevented it," Henry explained desperately.  
  
"And what if something bad happens to you? Do you have any idea what that would do to me and Abe?" James shouted again, blinking back tears. "As it is, the added stress has been causing you to go sleepwalk skinny dipping much more frequently."  
  
"Oh James, please don't cry," said Henry taking James's hand in his. "I promise you, nothing is going to happen to me."  
  
"I don't know how you can make promises like that when you behave the way you do." James sniffled and brushed away the tears that had overflown from his eyes. "I think I should give Jo a call and have a talk with her."  
  
Henry chuckled. "I'm not sure there would be much point to that. She's in complete agreement with you, and has lectured me many times on what she perceives as my lack of a self preservation instinct. This is just who I am James. You know this, you know how I got that scar on my chest."  
  
"Yes I know. You were shot trying to save another man's life. I just can't bear the thought of losing you Henry." James took a deep shuddering breath as tears filled his eyes again, which he quickly wiped away.  
  
"You won't lose me James. I will never leave you for as long as you will have me," Henry promised.  
  
James shook his head and turned away from Henry. "More promises that you might not be able to keep."  
  
Henry sighed wearily. "James I'm ill and exhausted. Can we please not fight anymore right now?"  
  
"You're right. I'm sorry," said James as he turned back to face Henry. He climbed into bed next to Henry and drew him into a gentle hug. "I didn't mean to stress you out. Maybe you wouldn't be sick right now if you'd stayed home though."  
  
Henry returned James's embrace and rested his head on his shoulder. He sighed in contentment as James brought one hand up to stroke his hair. "It really was my intention to stay home today, but then Jo called with a case that required my expertise. I promise I only stayed for a few hours, and I did my best not to exert myself."  
  
James shook his head in exasperation. "Your expertise. You speak as if you're the only competent ME that works for that office."  
  
Henry smirked. "While most of the MEs I work with are not as skilled as I am, it was not my expertise in pathology that was required."  
  
James nodded knowing that Henry was an expert in many different fields. So many in fact, that he couldn't even hazard a guess as to which area of his knowledge had been called upon. "Alright, what subject did Jo need your expertise in?"  
  
"18th century jewelry. The pieces Jo had me examine were really quite exquisite." Henry smiled fondly as he pictured the jewelry in his head.  
  
James laughed. "Of course. I should have guessed. The 18th century seems to be a particular specialty of yours."  
  
"Indeed it is," Henry replied with a wry grin. "Well the late 18th to early 19th centuries at any rate."  
  
"Well I'd better get that bandage off your arm and take a proper look at your wound," said James as he reluctantly untangled himself from Henry. He grabbed the medical supplies from the end of the bed and gently peeled away the large bandage, tossing it into the wastebasket. James grimaced at the state of Henry's arm. He wouldn't be able to tell how bad it was until after he had cleaned the wound, but from what he could already see, it was definitely infected. The wound was oozing and the entire area was red and swollen. James cleaned the wound with some alcohol swabs and smiled apologetically at Henry when he hissed from the sting of it. "Sorry Henry. I'll try to do this as quickly as I can."  
  
When James had finished cleaning Henry's wound, he was able to get a better look at it. If anything, it looked worse now that he could see it properly. He gently prodded the area around the wound, and his light touch caused Henry to repeatedly gasp out in pain. The skin around the wound was even hotter to the touch than the rest of his body was. When James had finished his examination, he applied anti-bacterial ointment to the wound and re-bandaged it. James took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face before giving Henry his diagnosis. "I hate to say it, but it looks like you've got a bad case of cellulitis. It's probably a staph infection. I'm going to call you in some antibiotics, but if this gets any worse, I'm going to have to admit you to the hospital."  
  
Henry groaned and felt his heart start to race in panic at James's words. The hospital was really the last place he wanted to be if he had a life-threatening injury or illness. "Please, no hospitals," he pleaded.  
  
James blinked in bewilderment at Henry seeing the look of fear on his face. "I don't understand. You used to work in a hospital, how can you be this afraid of them?"  
  
"It's the difference between being the doctor and being the patient," Henry explained. "A hospital really won't be necessary. I have IV equipment down in my lab, and I'm sure you and Abe would take much better care of me than they would at the hospital."  
  
James could see that Henry was shaking now and he drew him into a hug. "Ok, I promise I'll keep you at home for as long as possible, but you have to promise that you won't go in to work at all for at least a week."  
  
Henry let out a low sigh of relief. "Thank you James. I promise that I won't go in to work under any circumstances for the next week."  
  
James pressed a soft loving kiss against Henry's cheek. "Get some rest. I'm going to go let Abe know what's going on, and then I'm going to head out to the drugstore to get your medicine."  
  
Henry nodded. "Do hurry back though."  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can," James assured him. He kissed Henry again, on the lips this time, before getting up and leaving the room.  
  
Henry smiled briefly, savoring the lingering feeling of James's lips on his. He then yawned before closing his eyes. The pain medication was starting to kick in and it was making him rather groggy. He gave himself over to sleep once more, hoping that he would feel somewhat better by the time he woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe tries to convince Henry to tell James the truth about his condition. James blames Jo for Henry's current state and has a fight with her over the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I’m merely borrowing them for my own amusement.
> 
> Warnings: Adult Themes, Slash, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Suicide
> 
> Spoilers: General spoilers for the whole of Season 1.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story exists in an alternate universe in which James Carter is alive in present day. Henry and James had been dating for awhile before Henry started working with Jo. I'm not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but it's probably before the events of episode 8. This story was written for the Big Reveal Ficathon event.

When Henry next opened his eyes, he saw Abe standing over his bed. "Abraham, what is it? I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit under the weather at the moment."  
  
"Sorry Dad, I didn't mean to wake you," Abe answered. "James told me you were sick, so I just came up to see if you needed anything."  
  
"Yes, unfortunately my gunshot wound has become rather badly infected, so James went to fetch me some antibiotics from the pharmacy," Henry explained.  
  
Abe grimaced and nodded. "Can I get you anything to help you feel better?"  
  
"A cup of tea would be lovely, but other than that, I just need rest," Henry answered, smiling softly at his son's concern. "Perhaps a pitcher of water as well. I really should be drinking plenty of fluids."  
  
"Ok, I'll be right back." Abe patted his father's hand before leaving the room. He returned about fifteen minutes later with a cup of tea and a pitcher of water. He handed the cup to Henry and set the pitcher down on the night stand.  
  
"Thank you Abe," said Henry as he accepted the tea. He grimaced a bit as he took a sip, noting the bitter taste that wasn't completely obscured by the generous amount of honey that Abe had added to the tea. "Willow bark?"  
  
"Yeah, you know... to help with the fever and pain," Abe explained.  
  
"Yes, I am quite familiar with the uses for willow bark," Henry replied with a chuckle. "However, I've already taken some Percocet which should help my fever as well as my pain. Though, I suppose I can use all the help I can get." Henry took another sip of the tea, savoring the warmth if not the flavor.  
  
"So how bad is the infection?" Abe asked as he took a seat on the end of the bed.  
  
"It's quite bad I'm afraid," Henry answered with a serious tone and a grim expression on his face, "potentially life-threatening. James was talking about taking me to the hospital if I get any worse. We might be able to hold off on that for awhile though, since I do have all of that IV equipment down in my lab. You have to promise me that you won't let him drag me to the hospital Abe. I can't risk dying there."  
  
Abe sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah ok, I promise. This would be so much easier if you'd just trust James enough to tell him the truth about you."  
  
Henry took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "I know Abe. I'm just not ready yet. Most people do not react well to the truth."  
  
Abe nodded in sympathy. "I understand, but you'd better get ready, because if you don't get better, then James is going to have to find out one way or another."  
  
"I know. I really should tell him when he gets home," Henry said and finished off his tea before continuing, "but I'm not sure I have the energy for that discussion right now, and he's sure to think I'm delirious from the fever."  
  
"I know you're exhausted, but if you wait until you get worse to tell him, then you'll have even less energy for it than you do now," Abe pointed out. "Well, whatever you decide to do, I'll be here to back you up." Abe gave Henry's hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  
Henry smiled and returned the gesture. "Thank you Abe. It does help knowing that I have your support."  
  
"Well I'd better get started on dinner if I'm going to make you some soup," said Abe taking Henry's empty tea cup.  
  
"Alright, I'll just try to sleep until James returns." Abe patted his hand before getting up and leaving the room. Henry closed his eyes and drifted off again into a fevered sleep.  
  
\------  
  
James headed straight to the bedroom as soon as he returned home. He smiled sadly when he saw that Henry was fast asleep again. He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over Henry, gently pressing a kiss against his lips.  
  
Henry opened his eyes and gazed lovingly up at James. "Mmm, I think I might just go back to sleep so that you'll do that again."  
  
James laughed and affectionately ruffled Henry's hair. "How about I kiss you again after you take your antibiotics?"  
  
Henry grinned. "That seems fair."  
  
James took the glass from the night stand and filled it from the pitcher. He then handed Henry the glass along with a couple of pills from the prescription bottle. Henry swallowed the pills down with a small gulp of water before placing the glass back on the night stand. Henry let out a soft sigh of pleasure when James kissed him again as promised. "I also got you a treat," said James, placing a brown paper bag on Henry's lap.  
  
Henry raised an eyebrow and peered into the bag. It was filled with half a dozen blueberry scones. "Thank you James. This was very thoughtful of you."  
  
"Well you really should have some food with those pills, and I thought your favorite dessert might cheer you up," James explained.  
  
"Just having you by my side is enough to cheer me up," Henry answered squeezing James's hand. He took one of the scones from the bag and ate a few bites before returning it to the bag.  
  
James frowned. "Is there something wrong with it?"  
  
"No no, it tastes wonderful. I'm afraid I'm just not very hungry right now. Besides, I'll need to save room for dinner," Henry explained to reassure James. "You know my appetite is usually poor when I'm feverish."  
  
James nodded and moved the bag of scones to the night stand. He then reached over to feel Henry's forehead. "Yes you definitely still have a fever, though you don't feel quite as warm as you did before I left. How are you feeling?"  
  
"The Percocet has definitely reduced my pain, but it makes me so tired," Henry answered suppressing a yawn.  
  
"I'm glad it's helping. I hate to see you in pain. I really hope the antibiotics will help too," James replied solemnly.  
  
"Don't worry James. I'll be alright. I'm a survivor." Henry squeezed James's hand in the attempt to reassure him.  
  
"Yeah you'd have to be," James answered with a slightly bitter tone. "It's a wonder that you haven't gotten yourself killed by now."  
  
Henry sighed heavily, but didn't respond, partly because he couldn't bring himself to tell James the truth just yet, but also because it felt like things were starting to stray back towards their earlier fight, and the last thing he wanted was to fight with James right now.  
  
James mentally slapped himself when he saw the pained look on Henry's face and gently squeezed his hand back by way of an apology. "Is there anything you need right now?"  
  
"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind lying next to me while I rest and perhaps read to me?" Henry asked hopefully. He was too tired to read to himself, but at the moment he wasn't tired enough to go back to sleep either.  
  
"Of course Henry. I don't mind at all." James leaned over and kissed Henry on the cheek as he picked up the book from the night stand. He kicked off his shoes and curled up next to Henry on the bed. James opened the book to where Henry had left off, and tenderly caressed his good arm as he read to him, until he drifted off to sleep once more.  
  
\------  
  
An hour later, Abe poked his head into the bedroom. James was lying on his side on the bed next to Henry, stroking his hair as he watched him sleep. "Dinner's ready James. Though I don't know if we should wake Henry or let him sleep."  
  
James glanced up at Abe and gave him a tired smile. "As much as I'd like to let him sleep, we should probably try to get some food into him. He barely took two bites of the scones I brought him."  
  
Abe frowned. "Wow, he must really be sick then."  
  
James's face tensed up in a worried expression. "Yeah he's not well at all." He started shaking Henry gently to wake him up. "Come on, wake up Henry. Dinner's ready." Henry only responded with a low groan and turned over onto his side facing away from James.  
  
Henry jerked awake with a yelp as he felt an explosion of pain in his injured arm. It didn't take him long to realize that he had rolled over onto that side in his sleep. He turned back onto his back, squeezed his eyes shut, and gasped repeatedly as he tried to breathe through the pain.  
  
"Henry!" James exclaimed, unsure what had happened.  
  
Abe rushed to the bedside in alarm. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
James frowned. "I'm not sure. Henry can you tell me what happened? Did you have a nightmare?"  
  
Henry shook his head. "My arm..." he trailed off and gritted his teeth in pain, unable to say anything more.  
  
"Oh!" said James in sudden understanding. He wrapped his arms around Henry to comfort him, careful to avoid his injury. "It's ok, just keep breathing. It'll subside soon." Henry nodded and muffled a moan into his James's shoulder. "His arm is just hurting him a lot from when he rolled onto his side," he explained to Abe.  
  
Abe nodded and sighed in relief. Though he hated to see his father in pain, he was glad that it wasn't anything more serious. He sat down on the edge of the bed and squeezed Henry's hand while James stroked his hair. Henry squeezed his hand back and attempted to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.  
  
After a few minutes, the pain in Henry's arm faded significantly, and he relaxed against James, still breathing heavily. "Please remind me not to do that again."  
  
James chuckled. "I'll try, but I don't have much control over what you do in your sleep. I could always tie you up, but I think I'd prefer you to be awake for that," he replied cheekily. This earned him a weak laugh from Henry and a disgusted look from Abe.  
  
"I think I just lost my appetite," Abe muttered. "Speaking of which, are you hungry? Dinner's ready."  
  
Henry sighed. "Not really, but I know I should eat something."  
  
"Are you feeling up to coming downstairs to eat at the table, or do you want me to bring you up a tray?" Abe asked gently.  
  
"I think I'd like to come downstairs. I've been lying in this bed for several hours now, and I'll be back here all night long," Henry answered. "Would you please help me out of bed James?"  
  
"Of course Henry." James got out of bed, scooped Henry up in his arms, and started to walk towards the bedroom door.  
  
Henry burst out laughing. "Put me down you ridiculous man! Just because I needed help getting out of bed does not mean I'm not capable of walking."  
  
Abe rolled his eyes at the pair. "I'll just be down in the kitchen," he said and left the room.  
  
James chuckled and set Henry down. Henry put a robe and a pair of slippers on over his pajamas. He was much steadier on his feet than James had expected, and didn't even need to lean on him as they descended the stairs. He supposed the medication must have reduced his fever as well as his pain.   
  
Abe had prepared roast chicken and a salad in addition to the soup he had made for Henry, but Henry couldn't seem to stomach more than a couple of bites of chicken and salad, and he mostly stuck to the soup. James could tell that Henry didn't really want to eat the soup either, but at least he was making a real effort to get some food into him.   
  
About halfway through their meal, the phone started ringing. Henry started to stand up, but James placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "I'll get it, you just keep eating," he said giving Henry's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he stood up. James made his way to the kitchen phone and answered it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey James, it's Jo. Can I talk to Henry?"  
  
James sighed heavily when he heard who was on the line. "Yes he's here, but we're in the middle of dinner right now."  
  
"I'm sorry. There's a crime scene and I can't seem to get a hold of Lucas. He's probably out at some club where it's too loud to hear his phone. I know Henry's still on the mend, but I was hoping he might be up to coming down," Jo answered apologetically.  
  
"No Henry can't come to a crime scene," said James trying, but not quite succeeding, to keep the anger out of his voice. He could tell by the concerned looks on Henry and Abe's faces that the anger must be showing on his face as well. He took a deep breath to steady his voice before continuing. "His gunshot wound is badly infected and he has a fever. In fact, he's going to have to call in sick for the next week at least."  
  
"Yikes! Is he going to be ok?"  
  
"I don't know Jo," James answered honestly. "It's pretty bad. I've started him on a course of antibiotics. If he's lucky, this will be enough to keep him out of the hospital."  
  
"Well tell him I hope he feels better soon. I guess I'll just try Lucas again, or find another ME if he doesn't answer. Would Henry be up for visitors? I can try to stop by after I'm done with the crime scene if it's not too late."  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea," James answered, not liking the idea of Jo being anywhere near Henry while he was recovering. "He needs his rest. Maybe tomorrow if he's up to it, but please call before coming over."  
  
"Ok, I understand. I'll check in tomorrow. Please let me know if there's anything I can do."  
  
"I think you've done quite enough already," James snapped. "Abe and I are more than capable of taking care of Henry."  
  
Jo sighed. "Look I'm sorry James. I completely understand why you're angry with me, but I didn't ask him to take that bullet for me. If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty upset over the whole thing myself. I didn't even want him to come with me, but he was pretty insistent, so I made him wear a bulletproof vest. Unfortunately, those things don't come with sleeves."  
  
James's expression softened somewhat when he heard the detail about the bulletproof vest. At least she had been trying to keep him safe. "Ok, I'm sorry I yelled. I guess Henry is who he is and neither of us could change him even if we wanted to."  
  
Jo laughed sadly. "No we couldn't. Well I'll let you get back to your dinner and I'll call tomorrow to see if Henry's up for visitors. Have a good night."  
  
"You too. Goodbye Jo," James said and hung up the phone. When he made it back to the table, Abe was looking rather uncomfortable, and Henry had an amused smirk on his face. "What?"  
  
"I just love it when you get all protective, even if it's not necessary," Henry answered, reaching out to squeeze James's hand affectionately.  
  
"Just eat your soup," said James with an exasperated roll of his eyes, but he couldn't help smiling and squeezing Henry's hand back.  
  
After dinner, it was right back upstairs for Henry. James helped him to get ready for bed, which included changing the bandage on his wound and applying fresh anti-bacterial ointment. James decided to turn in early as well and got changed for bed. Once James was in bed with Henry, he picked up where he'd left off with the book earlier until they were both fast asleep in each other's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry takes a major turn for the worse. James tries to convince him to go to the hospital, and Henry attempts to tell James the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I’m merely borrowing them for my own amusement.
> 
> Warnings: Adult Themes, Slash, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Suicide
> 
> Spoilers: General spoilers for the whole of Season 1.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story exists in an alternate universe in which James Carter is alive in present day. Henry and James had been dating for awhile before Henry started working with Jo. I'm not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but it's probably before the events of episode 8. This story was written for the Big Reveal Ficathon event.

When James returned home from work the next day, he found Henry sprawled out asleep on the living room couch. The television was on tuned to the History channel. It was rare for Henry to watch TV of his own accord, even if it was educational. He only gave in when he wasn't feeling well enough to do anything, but wasn't tired enough to sleep either. Though clearly the television had helped to put him to sleep. He chuckled slightly as he pictured Henry ranting about the inaccuracies of whatever documentary he had been watching before he finally passed out. James turned off the TV, and then turned around to take a look at Henry.  
  
Henry had seemed like he had been doing better that morning, even if his wound had looked slightly worse. His fever had gone down somewhat and he had definitely been more alert. Now he looked positively awful. His face was flushed and he was sweating. He seemed to be writhing slightly in his sleep, and James wasn't sure if he was in pain or if he was having bad dreams. He placed his hand on Henry's forehead and gasped when he felt how hot his skin was. He hated seeing Henry like this and his heart ached for him. He lowered his hand and gently caressed Henry's cheek.  
  
Henry woke when he felt the soft touch of James's hand on his face, but that was soon overshadowed by pain, and he failed to suppress a loud moan. "James..." he managed to gasp out as he opened his eyes.  
  
"Yes Henry, I'm right here," James answered in a soft comforting voice. "You're burning up pretty badly."  
  
"I really don't feel well at all. It hurts so much..." Henry practically whimpered.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm going to get you back into bed, then I'll take your temperature and look at your arm." Henry nodded and James picked him up off the couch.  
  
This time Henry didn't protest at being carried. He wasn't sure he had the strength to get up off of the couch himself, and right now he was just trying to focus on not crying out in agony. It wasn't just his arm. He hurt all over, but it felt like more than just the normal aches and pains that accompany a fever.  
  
It didn't take long for James to get Henry back upstairs and into their bedroom. He gently set Henry down on the bed, propping the pillows up under him. "I'll be right back, ok?" Henry nodded and he placed a tender kiss on his head, before leaving to get the thermometer and medical supplies.  
  
Henry tried to relax against the pillows, but it was so hard when he hurt everywhere, and he found himself squirming involuntarily. He was cold too and wanted to pull the blanket over him, but he knew that James would just have to take it off again to examine his arm. This was bad. He didn't have to wait for James to assess his wound to know that. He sensed that the chances of him having to tell James the truth about his immortality had greatly increased. His mind started racing wondering how James would react to the news. He was fairly sure that James wouldn't take him seriously without proof. Unfortunately, given how ill he was feeling, James might just get that proof. But once he saw proof, how would he take it? Would he accept him for who he was, and stand by him as Abigail had done, or would he run? The thought of James leaving him filled him with a pain that, for a few moments, overshadowed the waves of physical pain flowing through his body. Tears came to his eyes unbidden, and he let them flow freely down his face, not having the energy to wipe them away.  
  
When James returned to the bedroom, he felt his heart ache at the sight before him. Henry was writhing on the bed in obvious pain, and there were tears streaming down his face. He climbed into bed next to Henry and set the medical supplies aside, before reaching over to wipe the tears from Henry's face. "Oh Henry, it really hurts that much?"  
  
Henry nodded. "It's not just my arm. It hurts everywhere, like acid flowing through my veins," he explained, not bothering to correct the assumption that that was the reason why he was crying.  
  
James frowned. He didn't like the sound of that at all. "Ok, we'll take your temperature, and then you can have some pain medicine." He picked up the thermometer and put it in Henry's mouth. After a couple of minutes it beeped, and he removed it from Henry's mouth to read it. James's face drew tight with worry when he read the display. "You have a fever of 103.6. We have to get this down." He grabbed the bottle of Percocet from the night stand, removed a couple of pills, then handed them to Henry along with a glass that he filled from the pitcher on the night stand. Henry swallowed the pills down with a long sip of water. "Have you been taking your antibiotics on schedule?"  
  
"Yes, Abraham has been making sure of that," Henry answered, putting the glass back on the night stand.  
  
James nodded. "Ok, then you shouldn't be due for more of those for awhile." He was about to grab the supplies to change Henry's bandage when he saw that he had started crying again. "I'm sorry. I know it hurts, but the medication will start to help you feel better soon," he said in a soothing voice as he put his arms around Henry.  
  
James's embrace caused an emotional dam to burst, and Henry found himself throwing his arms tightly around him, holding on for dear life as he started sobbing into his chest. "Please don't leave me James," he begged through his tears. "I couldn't bear it. I love you so much..."  
  
Taken quite aback at Henry's emotional outburst, for a few moments, James said nothing and simply rubbed Henry's back as he cried. "Shh shh, it's ok. I love you too and I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that I'm going to take care of you." Henry seemed to relax somewhat against him, and he kept rubbing his back until he finally stopped crying.  
  
Henry pulled back from James slightly and gazed up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just get emotional sometimes when I'm ill."  
  
James chuckled and pressed a tender kiss against Henry's forehead as he wiped his tears away. "So I've noticed. It's alright. You're very sick, and you are entitled to be a bit emotional. Can I look at your arm now?" Henry nodded, released his hold on James, and unbuttoned his pajama top. James helped Henry remove his injured arm from his shirt sleeve, and his mouth dropped open in dismay at what he saw. Jagged red streaks seemed to be radiating out up and down Henry's arm from beneath the bandage that were definitely not there that morning. James gently removed the bandage and traced the streaks with his eyes back to the center of the wound. The wound itself was even more red and swollen than it had been, and it was still oozing pus. "Henry, I think we need to go to the hospital now," said James, only just barely managing to keep his voice steady as an overwhelming sense of dread filled him.  
  
"No James, please no hospitals!" Henry pleaded desperately. "I told you I have IV equipment in my laboratory. We can treat this at home."  
  
"Henry, look at your arm. This is very bad," said James grimly. "You don't seem to be responding to the antibiotics I gave you, which means that this could be MRSA, especially given how fast the infection is spreading. You need to have the wound surgically drained. Depending on how bad it is, you might even need to have your arm amputated." James found himself blinking back tears as he delivered his assessment. He couldn't bear the thought of his beautiful Henry being maimed so, but he would rather have Henry disfigured than not have him at all. Just then, his cell phone started ringing, and he cursed under his breath at the timing of it. He saw Jo's number on the caller ID and reluctantly answered it. "Hello Jo."  
  
"Hey James. Look I'm sorry, but it turns out that I'm going to have to work late tonight, so I won't be able to stop by and visit Henry," Jo apologized.  
  
James let out a small sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to deal with her under the current circumstances. "That's alright. It's probably for the best. Henry's still very sick and he's not really up for having visitors."  
  
"Poor guy. I really hope he starts to feel better soon."  
  
"Yes so do I. Well I was just in the middle of changing his bandage, so I really need to go," James explained.  
  
"Oh right, carry on. I'll call to check in again tomorrow. Bye James."  
  
"Goodbye Jo," James said and ended the call. He turned back to look at Henry who was staring at him with a fearful look on his face.  
  
"James please... I cannot go to the hospital. I cannot risk having my arm amputated," Henry said in small frightened voice as he started to shake.  
  
James put his arms around Henry and held him close. "I know you're scared, but please don't fight me on this. You could die Henry, and I can't bear the thought of losing you. I love you so much, and that's not going to change just because you're missing a limb." James bit his lip as he felt his own eyes welling with tears, and they soon overflowed running down his face. He sniffled and wiped the tears away. "I know you'll probably have to change careers, but you have to realize it's better than death."  
  
"Oh James, that isn't at all what I'm worried about. The fact that I could have my arm amputated or even die means that the hospital is the worst place for me..." Henry trailed off knowing that he really was going to have to try to tell James the truth now.  
  
"I don't understand. If you're not worried about changing careers or that I'll love you any less, then what is it?" James asked gently.  
  
"I can't risk having my arm amputated because it will just grow back and that's not something I can hide. I won't go through another round of experimentation. I can't bear it!" Henry practically shouted.  
  
"Henry calm down. You're not making any sense," said James growing alarmed. "What do you mean your arm will just grow back?"  
  
Henry couldn't bear to look at James and he buried his head in his chest before he began his confession. "I'm so sorry James. I should have told you this sooner. I'm not like most people. I can't die, at least not permanently. When I die, I just come back to life completely healed. I don't age either. I'm 235 years old."  
  
James sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Henry you have a high fever and you're delirious. This is all the more reason why I need to take you to the hospital."  
  
Henry pulled himself out of James's embrace and glared at him. "I'm not delirious James! It's the truth! I can prove it!"  
  
"Ok ok, you're a 235 year old immortal man," James said trying to placate Henry.  
  
"You don't believe me," Henry said in an accusatory tone.  
  
"Look, I think I should go talk to Abe. Clearly he has no idea how sick you are right now, or he would have closed the shop."  
  
"Yes, go talk to Abe," Henry agreed emphatically. "He'll tell you I'm not lying."  
  
"Alright, let me take care of your arm and then I'll go talk to him." Henry nodded and James cleaned and re-bandaged his arm, then he went down to the shop to find Abe and let him know what was going on with Henry.   
  
\------  
  
Abe looked up from his desk when James came down the stairs to the shop. "Hey, how's Henry doing?"  
  
James sighed. "I'm afraid Henry's taken quite a turn for the worse. His infection isn't responding to the antibiotics and it's spreading quite quickly. He really needs to be in the hospital, but he's refusing."  
  
Abe nodded. "Well Henry's always hated hospitals. Can't you do something for him here with all that equipment in his lab?"  
  
"That's what he wants, but really it's already beyond the point where we can treat this at home. He's probably going to need surgery," James explained. "On top of everything, he's got a high fever. He's delirious and babbling about being immortal. He claimed that if his arm is amputated it will just grow back."  
  
"I see..." Abe was slightly surprised that Henry had tried to tell James the truth, but he supposed it had become necessary at this point. He couldn't say he blamed James for not believing Henry in his current condition, especially without any proof. It seemed that right now they didn't have enough time to sit James down with all of the photos and documents to try to convince him. James was going to have to see Henry die. Not only would it be faster, but it would also serve the purpose of curing Henry. "Ok, I'll come try to talk some sense into him, but knowing Henry, he is not going to go to the hospital without a fight. We'll probably have to sedate him."  
  
"Yes you're probably right, but what are we going to sedate him with?" James asked, wondering what they could possibly have in the house that would do the trick.  
  
"Henry's got some stuff in his lab for experiments," Abe answered and slipped down to the basement.  
  
James's eyes widened when Abe returned two minutes later holding a syringe. He wasn't sure he wanted to know why Henry kept injectable sedatives on hand, and right now he didn't really care. He hated the idea of drugging Henry in order to get him to do something he really didn't want to do, but if it would save his life, it was worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry and Abe orchestrate his death, and James finally learns the truth about Henry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I’m merely borrowing them for my own amusement.
> 
> Warnings: Adult Themes, Slash, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Suicide
> 
> Spoilers: General spoilers for the whole of Season 1.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story exists in an alternate universe in which James Carter is alive in present day. Henry and James had been dating for awhile before Henry started working with Jo. I'm not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but it's probably before the events of episode 8. This story was written for the Big Reveal Ficathon event.

Henry opened his eyes when he heard James return to the bedroom, and sighed in relief when he saw that Abe was with him. "Abraham, good you're here. Tell James I'm telling the truth and I'm not insane."  
  
"Henry, no one thinks you're insane," James tried to reassure him. "You've just got a high fever and you're not thinking clearly right now."  
  
"That's why we're going to take you to the hospital. You need to get better," said Abe.  
  
Henry's mouth dropped open at Abe's seeming betrayal. "Abe! You promised you..." he trailed off when he caught Abe's pointed look and saw the syringe he was holding. In that moment, he knew exactly what Abe meant to do. He really wished that a demonstration wasn't necessary. He didn't want to traumatize James that way, but he didn't know what other choice he had under the circumstances. At least it wouldn't be nearly as bad as witnessing him dying a violent death as Abigail had when she had found out. Henry then began to make a show of yelling and pleading not to be taken to the hospital.  
  
"Henry please calm down. If you really don't want to go to the hospital, we won't force you," Abe said in a soothing tone. "You need to rest though. How about some more medicine for the pain? I grabbed some morphine from your lab."  
  
Henry quieted down and nodded. He was truthfully still in a considerable amount of pain, and dying would be a relief. James rolled up the sleeve of his non-injured arm and cleaned off a spot with an alcohol swab. Abe handed James the syringe, and with a pained look on his face, James injected the medication into his arm.  
  
James removed the needle from Henry's arm and patted it. "There rest now. You should be feeling better soon." James bit his lip to stop himself from crying. A part of him hated himself for doing this to Henry, even if it was for his own good.  
  
"Yes I will. I'm sorry James. I love you and I'll see you soon..." Henry trailed off and closed his eyes as he felt consciousness slipping away from him.  
  
James sighed heavily and sat down hard on the edge of the bed once Henry had fallen asleep. "I guess we should get him down to the car now. I wonder what he was apologizing for?"  
  
Abe ran a hand over his face. "He was apologizing for what's about to happen. I should probably apologize as well."  
  
James looked up at Abe with widening eyes. "What are you talking about? What's about to happen?"  
  
Abe shook his head. "Don't look at me. Look at Henry. You need to see this."  
  
James turned back to look at Henry. He was unconscious and lying so still. Too still... "Oh my god! He's not breathing! What was in that syringe?"  
  
"It was morphine, just like I said. It was a highly concentrated lethal dose," Abe replied trying his best to stay calm. He always felt horrible killing his father, and now he had the added guilt of tricking James into doing it.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you? I thought he was like a son to you!" James shouted in outrage and disbelief, before climbing on top of Henry to give him mouth to mouth resuscitation.  
  
Abe sighed and grabbed James gently, but firmly, by the shoulders to pull him off of Henry. "Just let him go."  
  
James wrenched himself out of Abe's grasp. A big part of him wanted to restart the mouth to mouth, but he knew it was too late. He threw himself down on the bed next to Henry, gathered him into his arms, and started sobbing into his chest. He couldn't believe that Henry was gone just like that. James felt so overcome with a mixture of grief and despair. He was also filled with immense guilt that he had been the one that had killed Henry. Most of all, he was furious with Abe for tricking him into it. "How could you do this Abe! We could have gotten him to the hospital and saved him. There was no need to euthanize him!" James ran his hand lovingly through Henry's hair and caressed his cheek as he placed a tender kiss on his lips. "My poor sweet Henry. It shouldn't have ended like this. I'm so sorry..."  
  
Abe just stood there wringing his hands in silence. He didn't try to interfere with the grief James was feeling. There was no way he'd believe him that Henry would be alright until after his body disappeared. It was taking his father a bit longer than usual to disappear though, and he was starting to get nervous. He let out a huge sigh of relief when Henry finally vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind only a very shocked looking James. Abe sat down on the bed next to James and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"What was that? He just vanished... I don't understand what happened..." James stammered, staring up at Abe with unfocused eyes and started shaking. "I think I need you to take me to the hospital. I must be having some sort of nervous breakdown. I'm seeing things..."  
  
"It's ok, you're not having a nervous breakdown. What you saw was real," Abe said trying to reassure James.  
  
"But how? That's not normal! People don't just vanish when they die!" James shouted desperately.  
  
"It's normal for Henry. He was telling you the truth. He really is immortal. He did die, but I promise you he's fine. Under other circumstances, he might have tried to convince you with old photos and documents rather than traumatizing you by witnessing his death, but he was very sick, and we simply didn't have time for that. We really need to go pick him up now," Abe said gently.  
  
"Pick him up? You know where he is?' James asked softly, not quite sure what to believe at this point.  
  
"Yeah, when he's in the city he almost always returns in the East River," Abe explained.  
  
"The East River?" James furrowed his brow as he thought for a moment. Then it finally hit him. "He doesn't really sleep walk does he?"  
  
Abe chuckled. "Nope. Every time he turns up naked in that river it's because he just died."  
  
"Wow... I just... this is all so much to take in," James murmured feeling very overwhelmed.  
  
Abe nodded solemnly. "Believe me I know, but there will be plenty of time for stories and explanations later. We really need to go get Henry now. It's a cold night and we don't want him getting sick again. If you need some time alone, you can stay here while I go pick him up."  
  
James thought for a moment, weighing his options, then shook his head. "No, I'm coming with you. I need to see him as soon as possible."  
  
Abe grinned. "Ok then, let's go." He fished the emergency duffel bag full of clothes and towels from the closet and then led James down to the car.  
  
\------  
  
After they arrived at the river, Abe parked the car, got out, and started to head toward the river with James cautiously following behind him carrying the duffel bag. James had been mostly quiet during the ride over, only occasionally mumbling incoherently to himself, and Abe was worried about how he would react when he saw Henry. Abe looked around, but he didn't see Henry and it was starting to get dark. "Henry? Where are you?"  
  
"I'm over here," Henry answered, his voice coming from behind a nearby bush.  
  
James's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he heard the familiar British accent. He looked over to Abe who was giving him a 'What are you waiting for?' expression, and motioned for him to go bring Henry his clothes. He cautiously approached the bush. He wasn't sure what he was so nervous about. It was only Henry right? But it was a Henry who had kept a very large and bizarre secret from him, and he still wasn't sure what to think about any of this. He moved around to the far side of the bush and saw a wet and naked Henry, huddled up on the ground shivering with his arms wrapped around his bent legs. He dropped the duffel bag in shock and fell to his knees in front of Henry. "My god... it's really you Henry..." he said breathlessly.  
  
Henry looked up at James and smiled shyly. "Yes James, it's really me."  
  
James felt his eyes filling with tears and he lunged forward to wrap his arms around Henry. He hugged him close, holding on tight to reassure himself that Henry was really there, and broke down sobbing. After a moment, Henry returned his embrace and rubbed his back soothingly. "You were dead... I thought I'd lost you..." James choked out between sobs.  
  
"Yes I was dead, but I'm fine now," Henry said softly as he pulled back slightly to look at James and wiped away his tears. "I meant it when I told you I would never leave you, and now you know that I'll be able to keep that promise." James grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a fiercely passionate kiss. Henry couldn't help but let out a small moan as he hungrily kissed James back. After a few moments, he forced himself to break the kiss, pulling away slightly. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I should probably get dried off and dressed before I die again of hypothermia."  
  
James grimaced and nodded. He opened the duffel bag, pulled out some towels, and helped Henry to get dried off. He then handed Henry items of clothing one by one. Just as Henry was about to put on a shirt, James noticed that the wound on Henry's arm had disappeared. "Your gunshot wound... it's completely healed."  
  
"Yes, I did tell you that would happen," Henry answered with a wry grin.  
  
James sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you Henry."  
  
"It's alright James, I understand," Henry replied gently as he finished getting dressed. "It's something that would have been very difficult for you to believe even under normal circumstances, but I believe I was quite hysterical at the time, and I don't blame you for thinking that I was having fevered delusions. I'm just sorry that I put you through such pain. You know that the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you, but I hope you understand now why going to the hospital was not a safe option for me under the circumstances."  
  
"Yeah I think I do," said James a bit uncertainly. He still wasn't entirely sure he understood anything that had happened that night.  
  
Henry nodded. "Well if you don't fully understand now, you will later after I've had a chance to properly explain things. We should really head back to the car now. Abe will start to grow impatient."  
  
"I'm not sure why I should care about making him wait," James grumbled as they started to walk back. "He tricked me into giving you that injection. You have no idea how much it broke my heart when I thought I'd killed you."  
  
Henry sighed. "I understand, but James, you are a trained physician and Abe is not. Would you have really let him do it himself?"  
  
"No, I suppose not," James grudgingly conceded.  
  
"Besides," Henry continued, "if you are going to be upset with Abe, then you shall have to be upset with me as well. I knew what he planned to do as soon as I saw him holding that syringe. Yet I said nothing and I played along."  
  
"Maybe I'll be angry with you later. For now, I'm too busy being grateful that you're alive and well," James answered squeezing Henry's hand. "Be honest with me though, why do you keep morphine in your lab? Are  you an addict?"  
  
Henry sighed. "I will admit to experimenting with opiates at one point in my life. For someone like myself, there were no permanent consequences. Ultimately, I did this more to better understand and treat patients who were addicted or who had overdosed than I did for recreational purposes. Now, I only keep it on hand so that I may die peacefully in my sleep for those occasions where I need to die in a controlled manner."  
  
James nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I believe you. You've died a lot haven't you?"  
  
"Unfortunately yes," Henry answered sadly. "More times than I can count."  
  
"God I just... I can't even begin to imagine all that you've been through." James stopped walking and turned to put his arms around Henry, softly pressing his lips to Henry's forehead.  
  
Henry sighed and leaned into James's touch. He couldn't believe how accepting James was being. He hadn't had that with anyone since Abigail. He only hoped that James would continue to support him after he heard the whole story. He clasped James's hand in his and brought it up to his face, placing a tender kiss on his knuckles. The two of them jumped and separated when Abe started honking the car horn. Henry rolled his eyes and laughed. "We'd better go."  
  
When Henry and James reached the car, they both climbed into the back seat. Abe started up the car and pulled out onto the road. Henry sat leaning against James with his head resting against his chest, and James had his arms wrapped around him. Henry was still cold despite being dry and dressed, so he was grateful for James's body heat. They didn't talk on the ride home. Henry often felt physically and emotionally drained after a death, and he found it difficult to keep his eyes open. James was emotionally drained as well, and the pair of them soon drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they get back from the river, James finally gets to hear Henry's long story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I’m merely borrowing them for my own amusement.
> 
> Warnings: Adult Themes, Slash, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Suicide
> 
> Spoilers: General spoilers for the whole of Season 1.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story exists in an alternate universe in which James Carter is alive in present day. Henry and James had been dating for awhile before Henry started working with Jo. I'm not sure when exactly this story is supposed to take place, but it's probably before the events of episode 8. This story was written for the Big Reveal Ficathon event.

After they arrived home from the river, Henry went to take a hot shower, and James helped Abe to get dinner ready. James tried to ask Henry questions during dinner, but Henry insisted that it was a long story, and that he wanted to enjoy his meal before delving into such emotional subjects. After dinner, Henry and James retired to the living room with a bottle of wine, and Abe went up to his bedroom to give them some privacy. Henry sat on one end of the couch and James was stretched out with his head in Henry's lap.  
  
"Ok Henry, I'm ready for this long story of yours," said James smiling warmly up at Henry.  
  
Henry took a deep breath and ran his fingers through James's hair for a few moments to calm himself before answering. "Well, it really is a long story, and one that is neither easy to tell or to hear for the first time. I'm not sure if I will get through the entire thing tonight, but I will try to fill you in on the important details."  
  
"It's alright. I'm not going anywhere," James promised. He sipped his wine and rubbed soothing circles against the palm of Henry's hand.  
  
"I only hope that you still feel that way after I've finished my tale." Henry took a long sip of his wine before continuing. "I was born on September 19th, 1779."  
  
"You really are that old?" James asked in astonishment.  
  
"Yes James. I'm 235 years old," Henry confirmed, "but thankfully I stopped aging when I was thirty-five years old."  
  
James chuckled. "Wow, I'm dating an old man. That will take some getting used to, but it explains why you're such an expert on the 18th and 19th centuries. What was it like for you growing up?"  
  
"Well I came from a fairly wealthy family in England. I had all the best tutors, and when I was old enough I went to medical school and became a doctor. As I said, this is a very long story, so perhaps we can speak more of my childhood another time. My father owned a shipping company, and due to some financial difficulties, he had started transporting slaves. I was furious with him of course, but he was insistent that this was his only option. After his death in 1814, I boarded one of the ships with the intention to free the slaves on board. I was so close to getting the cell key to one of the slaves, but then the captain alerted me that one of the slaves was sick, so I went to examine him. He just had a simple fever, and I told the captain that he would be fine, but the captain was convinced that it was something more serious, and he ordered the slave thrown overboard. I tried to intervene, and only got shot and thrown overboard myself for my trouble."  
  
"That was the first time you died wasn't it? It's the real story of how you got that scar on your chest isn't it?" James asked, reaching up to place a hand on Henry's chest over where his scar was located.  
  
Henry covered James's hand with his own and squeezed it tightly. "Yes, I died that night. I can't explain it, but I somehow revived in the middle of the ocean completely naked. I haven't aged a day since then, and every time I die, I revive again in the nearest large body of water naked and completely healed."  
  
"So what exactly happens to your clothes when you die?" James asked with a teasing smirk.  
  
Henry chuckled. "If only I knew James. It's a rather expensive side effect of dying."  
  
James laughed but then sighed sadly. "I really wish you had told me all of this sooner."  
  
Henry let out a shuddering breath as painful emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "I wanted to James, really I did, but I was afraid. I've had some very bad experiences with people finding out about my immortality. This has made it very difficult for me to trust people with my secret. It took me a year to make my way home to my wife after my first death. At first, she was just overjoyed that I was alive and didn't question the miracle. Eventually, she wanted to know what had happened to me and how I got the scar on my chest. I told her the truth and she didn't believe me. I foolishly tried to prove it to her. I was going to slit my wrists. She lied and told me that she believed me just to get me to stop. Then the next day she had me sent to an insane asylum."  
  
James gasped in disbelief. "My god, how awful! Was this Abigail that did this?"  
  
"No no no! Not Abigail, she came later. This was my first wife Nora," Henry explained. "I trusted her and she betrayed me, though in hindsight I'm not entirely sure I can blame her. The asylum was a horrid place though. It was cold, damp, and filthy. The treatments they tried on me amounted to torture. At one point they tried 'hydrotherapy' on me, which was basically the same thing as waterboarding."  
  
"Oh Henry, you poor man," said James, his voice full of sorrow for the man he loved. He sat up and turned to put his arms around Henry who leaned into his embrace, resting his head on his shoulder.  
  
Henry felt his eyes fill with tears, hearing James use the same words that Abigail had used when she had found out about his immortality. "That wasn't even the worst of it. I've been hung, burned at the stake, exsanguinated, and dissected when people have learned of my immortality. I encountered Nora once again many years later in 1865. My name and face was in the papers after saving a child from a burning building and she recognized me. She could see that I hadn't aged in all that time, and she finally believed me. And yet, she betrayed me once again by attempting to shoot me to prove my immortality to the world. A nurse, that I had been romantically involved with at the time, stepped in front of me and was killed."  
  
"Henry I am so sorry. I just can't even imagine the amount of suffering you've endured. I understand why you felt you couldn't tell me." James held Henry a bit closer and rubbed his back soothingly.  
  
Henry sighed sadly. "Even if I had summoned the courage to tell you, you wouldn't have believed me."  
  
James shook his head. "Abe said there were photographs and documents to prove it though."  
  
"Perhaps those would have been enough to convince you," Henry conceded, "but I don't think you would have truly understood until you saw it for yourself like you did tonight."  
  
"Well witnessing your death certainly lowered the burden of proof on your end," James mused.  
  
"Yes, it certainly did," Henry replied with a wry grin. "Abigail saw me die as well. I died in her arms after being stabbed by her ex-boyfriend. She was the first person to truly accept who and what I am without question."  
  
"How did Abe find out?" James asked. "He seems pretty accepting of you."  
  
Henry nodded. "Yes he is, and he's probably much more tolerant of me than I deserve. It was quite different with Abe. By the time he was fifteen, he began to realize his father wasn't aging, so Abigail and I sat him down and explained everything."  
  
James's mouth dropped open in surprise. "His father? Abe is your son?"  
  
"Yes, Abigail and I adopted Abraham at the end of World War II. He was rescued from a concentration camp," Henry explained.  
  
"Wow I just... now that I think about it, the way you act around him is exactly like a father would with their son, but I always interpreted it the other way around. So if we ever got married I'd be saddled with a 70 year old step-son?" James asked with a teasing grin.  
  
Henry laughed. "I suppose so, not that you could ever say so in public." Henry's expression darkened again as thoughts of Abigail filled his head. "I'm not sure marriage would be the best thing though with my condition."  
  
James frowned. "What does that matter if we love each other?"  
  
Henry sighed sadly as he let the memories wash over him. "Abigail and I were madly in love, and we had a wonderful marriage, even if she had to sacrifice a lot in order to be in a relationship with me. Eventually, when it looked as if she was old enough to be my mother, the strain was too much for her, and she left."  
  
"Henry, I'm not Abigail," James said and kissed Henry tenderly on the cheek. "I plan on staying with you for a very very long time whether or not we get married."  
  
"You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that. I was so afraid that you'd want to leave after learning the full truth about my condition." He lifted his head up to kiss James softly.  
  
James returned the kiss and caressed Henry's now healed arm. "Nope, you can't get rid of me that easily. So is there anyone else that's currently alive that knows your secret besides me and Abe?"  
  
"Well there is one other person, but I'd rather not talk about him right now," Henry replied uncomfortably.  
  
"Henry please, no more secrets?" James pleaded.  
  
Henry sighed in defeat. "Alright, I suppose this is something you should know about. He calls himself Adam, though I am certain that this is not his real name. He is an immortal like myself, the only other one that I am aware of. He is much older than I am, over 2000 years old. He is a mentally unstable psychopathic serial killer, and he has been stalking me for a few months."  
  
"Oh my god Henry! Why didn't you tell me you had a stalker!" James all but shouted.  
  
"Because I didn't want to worry you, and it would have been difficult to explain about my stalker without explaining my immortality as well. It's not as if he can truly hurt me. He's killed me once already and I'm still here," Henry pointed out.  
  
"But he is hurting you, because, with the exception of dying in your sleep like you did tonight, dying still hurts you doesn't it?" James asked desperately.  
  
"Yes, I do still feel the pain of my deaths, but it's only temporary. In any case, there isn't much I can do about it. Suppose the police actually caught him and put him in prison. He'd simply commit suicide and escape that way. Don't worry, I'll be alright," Henry said, giving James's hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  
James sighed and hugged Henry tightly. "I know. I just can't stand the thought of someone causing you pain. So Jo doesn't know about you then?" he asked changing the subject.  
  
Henry shook his head. "No she doesn't. I've wanted to tell her as well, but I could never bring myself to do it."  
  
"You need to tell her Henry, and sooner rather than later," James insisted. "She really worries about you too with all the reckless stunts you always pull when you are out in the field together. Why keep putting her through that when there is no need for her to worry? Don't make her wait until you die in front of her to tell her the truth."  
  
Henry closed his eyes for a moment and ran a hand over his face. "I know you're right James. I don't want her to worry about my safety when it's unnecessary, but she won't believe me. Even if I show her all of the documents I have, she will probably want to have them authenticated, which is too risky for me."  
  
"Well now that I know, you'll have both me and Abe to back up your story. I mean she can't think that all three of us are crazy can she?" James pointed out.  
  
"She could, but I will admit that it's probably less likely," Henry conceded. "I suppose we'll have to have her over for dinner sometime soon to talk about this."  
  
"Well as far as she knows, you're still sick, so she'll probably want to try and visit you tomorrow. Maybe that's the perfect time to do it," James suggested.  
  
"Oh James, this whole ordeal has been so exhausting for me. I'm not sure I can handle doing it again so soon. I was thinking of telling her maybe in a week or two," Henry clarified.  
  
"Maybe it's better to just get it over with, but if you really don't want to tell her tomorrow, I won't push you," James promised. "You'll have to pretend you're still sick though if you don't."  
  
Henry chuckled. "I actually have a great deal more experience pretending that I'm sick or injured when I'm not than I have with revealing the secret of my immortality."  
  
James rolled his eyes and laughed. "Of that I have no doubt."  
  
Henry drained the rest of the wine from his glass. "I'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow, and then I will decide whether or not I will tell her when she visits."  
  
James nodded. "That's fair."  
  
"I'm going to be so bored all day though," Henry complained. "I'm certainly well enough to go back to work, but I'll be stuck here all day since you told Jo I'd need to take the whole week off."  
  
"Well maybe I'll take the day off myself and we can spend it together," James answered with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm sure you have more than enough stories to fill the day up. And if by some chance you do run out of stories, I'm sure we can find other things to keep us occupied."  
  
"Oh yes, I have more than enough stories to fill up a day off. Though at some point, I may need to rest my voice and focus on other activities," Henry said lowering his voice and nuzzled James.  
  
James let out a soft sigh of contentment. "Though, I'm not sure I can afford to take the rest of the week off, especially if you're not deathly ill anymore. Perhaps, if you can demonstrate to me that you are physically fit to go back to work, I can give you medical clearance to return the day after tomorrow," he replied in a suggestive tone.  
  
Henry didn't say anything in response. He merely grinned at James as he stood up from the couch. He captured James's lips in a deep kiss as he bent down and lifted him into his arms, taking his turn to carry him up to their bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was based on a real illness that I actually had twice in my life. Though, my infection was in a location other than my arm, and it was not caused by a gunshot wound, but I actually did experience the symptoms I wrote about.
> 
> A special thank you to [idelthoughts](http://archiveofourown.org/users/idelthoughts/pseuds/idelthoughts) for her feedback on the end of this story.

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out my new Forever Fanforum at [forever-tv.proboards.com](http://forever-tv.proboards.com/) for discussion, fanworks, roleplay, and more.


End file.
